Shann
Xiangnuo Xia
Motion + Product DesignI like stories that are a little offbeat, but still hit home.
Sweet Cure
CASE STUDY · 2025
Turning medicine time from a daily battle into a playful ritual.
Interactive medication experience
Children’s healthcare
8 weeks
After Effects, Cinema 4D, Photoshop
OVERVIEW
Sweet Cure is a jelly-making kit that lets children turn their daily medicine into character-shaped jelly treats. It reframes medicine from something forced on a child into something they make, easing stress for the whole family.
THE PROBLEM
27–78%
of children and adolescents show partial or full adherence to their prescriptions (systematic review).
Bitter taste and fear make kids cry, refuse or spit medicine out. Parents fall back on bribes, hiding pills in food, or forcing the dose — workarounds that are exhausting and slowly erode trust.
RESEARCH
What really happens at home
A literature review, a parent survey, three in-depth interviews and a scan of existing products — sorted into an affinity diagram.
Key insights
Resistance starts before the first taste
Kids refuse on sight of the bottle, so help has to come early — before and during the dose, not after.
Hiding medicine breaks trust
Tricks work until the child notices. Families need an honest routine they can share.
Long-term patients need it most
Healthy kids take medicine only occasionally; children with asthma or ADHD take it every day.
THE CONCEPT
A playful jelly-making kit that turns daily medication into fun, customizable jelly treats.
1
Choose
Pick a character mold and a jelly color.
2
Mix
Stir powder or liquid medicine into the jelly base, or set a tablet inside.
3
Set
The jelly sets into a cat, bunny or heart that masks the bitter taste.
4
Enjoy
Eat it together, then earn a sticker or collectible card.
PRODUCT & PACKAGING
Designed to be picked up, not pushed away
One for powder or liquid medicine, one for tablets and granules.
Cat, bunny, heart, star and bow shapes, plus stickers and cards to collect.
1-, 4- and 8-dose sizes for short courses and long-term treatment, with a dosage guide.
WHY IT WORKS
Preparing the jelly gives kids control and something to look forward to.
Making it together turns a daily conflict into time spent as a family.
Every dose ends with a treat and a sticker, linking medicine with something good.